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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
Bleh. That was not for me. I think the target audience is younger YA readers. Preachy, simplistic characters, basic inaccuracies.
Sad I paid money for this.
Sad I paid money for this.
Edit: 31st August 2018: Read this one in my vacation, and WOWWWWWW. I just adore it so much. Just as much as I did back in 2012 (has it really been almost 6 years?). It was creepy, scary, and amazing. Finally a book about vampires taking over the world. I would like to know how it all started though. I loved reading about the Amish way of living, and I loved the MC. She was just too awesome. All in all, I can't wait to re-read this one again one day.
This was an awesome book. I loved the combination of Vampires + Amish.
Though I don't know much about the Amish, I felt like they gave a good portrayal of how life goes there.
The vampires where really scary, and I know I had a few nights with less sleep. :(
As soon as book 2 gets a paperback I will be pre-ordering it, and I can wait to read it. :)
This was an awesome book. I loved the combination of Vampires + Amish.
Though I don't know much about the Amish, I felt like they gave a good portrayal of how life goes there.
The vampires where really scary, and I know I had a few nights with less sleep. :(
As soon as book 2 gets a paperback I will be pre-ordering it, and I can wait to read it. :)
I decided to DNF. I was expecting the Amish portion of the story to be more accurate to their faith and beliefs. It's really bothering me and I don't want to continue.
The Hallowed Ones is a really different book! It's definitely vivid, and it's quite the page-turner.
I will say that I didn't really get the dystopic label up in the summary. I feel like that's really misleading, because while there are a couple of things that could be seen as dystopic, the book is really more of the "holy crap, WTF is going on out there, is the end of the world really happening" kind of story. I also got more of a horror vibe from it, so unless there's something I missed, the mention of of it being a dystopian tale makes no sense to me.
What made this one really terrifying was the isolation. No access to technology, which means a community who has no clue what's really going on, but also knowing there's something going on. No people coming in, no people going out. no matter what. Elders who refuse to believe something really weird is going on, even though it's happening right in front of them, when it finally ends up at their front door.
It really makes the book creepy, when you're not quite sure what's going on, but knowing something's there. And the fact that vampires had a hard time getting onto Amish land...I really liked it, and it's really different, but the safe spaces are definitely safe, and different than what you'd expect from vampires roaming around.
I also liked that Kate was questioning things, and didn't want to fall in line, even though it was clearly expected of her. There was one point in particular where it was frustrating, but I also understand why she thought the way she did, especially considering this world is all she's ever known. What I thought was really different and interesting was how it's more a philosophical/spiritual look at the end of the world. It's not religious at all, but you do have that element throughout the book. And it does get you thinking about beliefs and values and what it means when the end of the world is happening.
My Rating: 3 stars. I liked it, and it's different and creepy but I also didn't fall in love with it.
I will say that I didn't really get the dystopic label up in the summary. I feel like that's really misleading, because while there are a couple of things that could be seen as dystopic, the book is really more of the "holy crap, WTF is going on out there, is the end of the world really happening" kind of story. I also got more of a horror vibe from it, so unless there's something I missed, the mention of of it being a dystopian tale makes no sense to me.
What made this one really terrifying was the isolation. No access to technology, which means a community who has no clue what's really going on, but also knowing there's something going on. No people coming in, no people going out. no matter what. Elders who refuse to believe something really weird is going on, even though it's happening right in front of them, when it finally ends up at their front door.
It really makes the book creepy, when you're not quite sure what's going on, but knowing something's there. And the fact that vampires had a hard time getting onto Amish land...I really liked it, and it's really different, but the safe spaces are definitely safe, and different than what you'd expect from vampires roaming around.
I also liked that Kate was questioning things, and didn't want to fall in line, even though it was clearly expected of her. There was one point in particular where it was frustrating, but I also understand why she thought the way she did, especially considering this world is all she's ever known. What I thought was really different and interesting was how it's more a philosophical/spiritual look at the end of the world. It's not religious at all, but you do have that element throughout the book. And it does get you thinking about beliefs and values and what it means when the end of the world is happening.
My Rating: 3 stars. I liked it, and it's different and creepy but I also didn't fall in love with it.
Three words: dystopian, Amish, paranormal. If you’ve ever wondered how the Amish would react to a major contagion or the collapse of society, this is the book for you. An Amish girl, Katie, witnesses the breakdown of the world outside of her community, due to some unknown cause, as well as how her community and elders react. When she defies the elders and saves an injured outsider found on their land, she is faced with difficult choices about her beliefs and her future. Full disclosure: I heard this book recommended by a book podcast called “Get Booked”.
-Kelly M. H.
-Kelly M. H.
Five stars for defying the expectation of what an "Amish vampire book" would even be.
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Amish vampires! Fair warning...this was extremely gory. But it scared the bejeebus out of me, and I loved it.
This could have been the usual vampire story since it has all the usual "what a vampire can do/is" trappings of the genre. It isn't because it involves the Amish who are separated from the outside world in their own community as the vampire outbreak destroys the world.
Katie is a rebellious young woman who is looking forward to her Rumspringa so she can get a taste of the world outside her community. Unfortunately, the world goes to heck outside and her Amish community is alerted to this fact by a military helicopter crashing into the field within the Amish community's boundaries. Katie is first on seen and saw the pilot get dragged back into the crashed helicopter by the thing with red glowing eyes. The Elders of the community start their spin control to cover up what may be happening outside the community in the world of the Englishers (outsiders). Katie knows something is going on, something evil, and sneaking out to the nearby town confirms this. She ends up secretly bringing an hurt Englisher into the Amish community as things start to threaten the people within it. Old, ancient, things of legend, vampires.
These vampires do not sparkle, they are not human-like except for their appearances, they move very unhuman-like, and they destroy what they eat. they are a threat, they are creepy, and they are scary. It is a perfect contrast to the Amish community which is quite peaceful. The story-line amps up at a steady pace and the end of the book leaves room for a sequel which I hope is something that happens because I want to know what happens with Katie in the vampire infested world of the book.
Katie is a rebellious young woman who is looking forward to her Rumspringa so she can get a taste of the world outside her community. Unfortunately, the world goes to heck outside and her Amish community is alerted to this fact by a military helicopter crashing into the field within the Amish community's boundaries. Katie is first on seen and saw the pilot get dragged back into the crashed helicopter by the thing with red glowing eyes. The Elders of the community start their spin control to cover up what may be happening outside the community in the world of the Englishers (outsiders). Katie knows something is going on, something evil, and sneaking out to the nearby town confirms this. She ends up secretly bringing an hurt Englisher into the Amish community as things start to threaten the people within it. Old, ancient, things of legend, vampires.
These vampires do not sparkle, they are not human-like except for their appearances, they move very unhuman-like, and they destroy what they eat. they are a threat, they are creepy, and they are scary. It is a perfect contrast to the Amish community which is quite peaceful. The story-line amps up at a steady pace and the end of the book leaves room for a sequel which I hope is something that happens because I want to know what happens with Katie in the vampire infested world of the book.
Ich hätte mir ein bisschen mehr erhofft und konnte Katies Entscheidungen teilweise nicht nachvollziehen, aber an und für sich fand ich die Idee echt gut. Sobald mein nächstes Audible Guthaben da ist, werde ich gleich den zweiten Teil der Duologie hören.